The paper discusses an interior architectural design model to enable the accomplishment of sustainable design strategy of efficient resources/waste management. The proposed design concept, referred to as interior architectural design for adaptive reuse, is based on the reintroduction of reclaimed or salvaged building construction materials and products acquired from demolished or refurbished building structural portions, into the structure of interior components. The presented design approach puts circular design methods and techniques in interior design practice at the core of environmentally responsible architectural design. To achieve its objectives, the implementation of resources efficiency strategy into the interior design scheme should remain a decisive interior design quality criterion. Meanwhile, the issues related to the environmental contextualization of interior spaces and their constitutive components, in fulfilment of sustainable design requirements for the conservation of natural resources, are neither sufficiently recognized by interior designers, nor appropriately highlighted in the current design practice. The main purpose of this concept paper is to develop a theoretical scheme for systemic inclusion of interior architectural design for adaptive reuse into the environmentally sustainable interior architectural design framework. This study provides interior designers with the concept of interior components design for the fulfilment of resources efficiency and waste management effectiveness.

The paper considers the adjustments of the interior architectural design education model toward its compliance with the principles of sustainability, since the currently provided scheme does not effectively employ the sustainability multi-dimensional concept as a substantial determinant of interior architectural design. The conventional interior architectural design curriculum requires corrections, to provide students with systematized knowledge on sustainability issues, as well as appropriate abilities and skills to create buildings’ interior spaces with high environmental performance. The modifications are considered using the example of a curriculum realized within the Faculty of Interior Design affiliated with the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. These improvements of the curriculum structure comprise the establishment of a compulsory course on environmentally sustainable interior architectural design, offering to the undergraduate students comprehensive theoretical knowledge on the multi-dimensional aspects of sustainability and the introduction of professional design tools, including simplified versions of multi-criterial environmental evaluation systems, as a supportive educational means, as well as learning tools comprising interdisciplinary environmental-responsibility-oriented design workshops or seminars led by green building consultants and professionals involved in practicing sustainable interior design. This paper discusses the innovative concept of integrative design classes (IDC), realized within the practical modules of courses on Building Construction and Environmentally Sustainable Architectural Design, both delivered to undergraduate interior design students. The paper analyses these integrative design classes as a supportive project-based learning technique to develop the students’ ability to accomplish sustainable design strategies for resource efficiency, waste management effectiveness, optimization of indoor environment quality parameters as well as pro-environmental education. The results of the conducted integrative design classes proved that they are a driver for developing technically and formally innovative designs, allowing the students to establish a link between theoretical knowledge on sustainability in interior design and its practical implementation.

Implementation of environmental responsibility issues into the interior design methodology considers many aspects of the design process, but analyzes them separately. These include building materials' and products' specifications based on the assessment of their parameters impact on the users of indoor environments, or resource management within an ecological efficiency context. This concept paper concentrates on the analysis of an environmental activation of inner space components, identified by the author as the holistic and systemic design model, which is to empower the foundation of a contemporary sustainable interior design model. The proposed design scheme is supposed to assure the environmental effectiveness of interiors and their structure, as well as complementing functional components. The contributions of interiors completed in accordance with this concept can refer to the enhancement of the performance of building mechanical systems and the improvement in the indoor environment quality parameters. They can be achieved with the appropriate environmental activation-oriented structural, technical, and material solutions, applied to the selected inner space components. The theoretical scheme presented should become the basis for further investigations and studies to establish the comprehensive methodology design framework assuring the integrative role of interior design in the creation of a sustainable near environment.

This paper discusses the impact of advanced building techniques, in tune with selected building materials and their physical attributes, applied to complete constitutive interiors components on these components’ environmental performance and aesthetics. There is an understanding of technological practices as essential for the effective management of the design process; still, the creative introduction of advanced building techniques is not commonly recognized by interior architects. The objective of the research is to indicate the possible multidimensional consequences of the analysis of materials’ physical attributes and the consistent application of advanced building techniques to complete interior components. The basis for this study formed the design concepts of aesthetic functionalism, place attachment, and a content-context model of the association between interior components and the building fabric. Some theoretical frameworks were used for a qualitative evaluation of interior components of selected cultural facilities completed in the last decade in Poland. The performance of these components was measured in the function of applied innovative building techniques and specified building materials. Research findings have proved the impact of building techniques on the performance of interior components as instruments to increase interior functional use, formal uniformity, and aesthetic cohesion of buildings and their inner spaces, as well as the scale of multisensorial effectiveness.

The paper presents issues concerning realization of paradigm of sustainable design in the achitectural design of offices. Special attention is given to relevant technical, formal and functional solutions, being the domain of interior architects creating the built environments of adequate indoor quality with substantial reduction of negative impact on natural environment. Presented sustainable architectural interiors, completed in the last decade, have gained cerificates established by independent scientific institutions, assuring their accordance with exigencies of rating systems. The paper analyzes the formal methods of proper space planning, which assure high indoor environment quality parameters for the end users of office interiors in terms of optimum daylighyting of workstations and recreational areas as well as workers’ visual contact with natural valuable surroundings. These requirements can be satisfactorily met by properly shaped inner space elements including partitions, ceilings, space-dividing structures as well as rational and effective use of finishing and building materials. Technical and technological devices incorporated into the inner space mentioned in the paper are supposed to be essential complement of these design methods assuring proper daylight transmission and distribution in workspaces. Discussed examples indicate the necessity of collaboration of interior architects with other professionals and consultants (i.e. green building accredited consultants), whose design contributions should be accepted and respected. Integrated interior design process assured fulfilment of imperatives for sustainable architectural design of interiors.